Menstruation is a complicated but necessary part of the female reproductive process. It begins when the uterus sheds its lining, known as a woman's period. However, there's much more to it than that.
Each part of a woman's cycle is necessary for fertility and childbearing. The entire month may be compromised if one part of the cycle isn't working correctly.
At New England Women's Healthcare, our team of board-certified OB/GYN doctors has expertise in women's health. We know the importance of a healthy menstrual cycle for conception and overall wellness.
A woman's menstrual cycle is a necessary process that prepares her body for pregnancy. Every month, an ovary releases an egg that travels down the fallopian tube, waiting for a male sperm to fertilize it.
Hormonal changes occur during ovulation to prepare the uterus to accommodate a fertilized egg. If no sperm are present to fertilize the egg, it continues to the uterus, where it comes out with the uterine lining during a woman's period.
A normal menstrual cycle is 21-35 days — but the duration varies from woman to woman. The average length of a menstrual cycle is 28 days, meaning ovulation would occur around day 14.
Many lifestyle factors and medical conditions affect the menstrual cycle, including heavy exercise, illicit substances, and stress. Other conditions like endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) also affect phases of the menstrual cycle.
The cycle has four separate stages, with each necessary for conception and a healthy menstrual cycle.
Known as the menses phase, it starts on the first day of your period. It lasts 1-5 days, although the timing can vary.
In this phase, a fertilized egg hasn't implanted into the uterus, which then sheds its lining. Hormone levels fall without pregnancy, causing vaginal bleeding during a period.
This second phase begins on the day of your period, overlapping the first phase, and ends on the day of ovulation. For someone who has a 28-day cycle, this phase would be day 1-14.
During this phase, the ovaries produce more estrogen, which thickens the uterine lining to prepare it for an egg to implant. The follicle-stimulating hormone also rises, causing follicles in the ovary to grow and mature. On days 10-14, one of the follicles matures into an egg for ovulation.
Ovulation occurs around day 14 in a 28-day cycle. During this time, the luteinizing hormone increases, which causes one of the ovaries to release an egg for fertilization. The timing may differ depending on stress and each woman's cycle length.
The luteal stage occurs around days 15-28 of your menstrual cycle, depending on your standard length. The mature egg travels through the fallopian tube en route to the uterus. If a sperm fertilizes the egg, the hormone progesterone rises to support implantation.
If pregnancy doesn't occur, estrogen and progesterone drop, causing the lining of the uterus to shed during menstruation.
Each stage needs to occur for pregnancy to happen. Still, conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis affect the menstrual cycle, making it shorter or longer and affecting ovulation.
Call your nearest New England Women's Healthcare office to schedule a fertility consultation, or request an appointment on the website. We're a premier, full-service practice with convenient locations in Woburn and Wilmington, Massachusetts.
